Winter Retreat 2022

It’s time again to sign up for the ÅSV winter camp. While corona is of course a wild card, we're gambling that we can operate at full capacity, i.e. 32 songwriters. Fingers crossed!

The info here is aimed at songwriters living abroad; if you live in Denmark, please consult our Danish page.

The essential details:

• Place: Riishytten, Østerhovedvej 47, 7323 Give, Denmark. We'll provide transport to and from the airport.
• Time: Late January – from Weds. the 26th (4 pm) to Sunday the 30th (2 pm).
• Price: £100/€120/$135/900 kr., which covers room and board and 2022 membership in ÅSV.
• Eligibility: Anyone who writes songs, regardless of experience, age or genre. Max 32 participants.
• Corona: One needs to be fully vaccinated or recently tested (within 72 hours of arrival), preferably both.
• Registration: 1. Send a copy of your plane ticket to Lars Graulund at larsg@me.com
  2. Sign up at the bottom of this page. (Requires login – if you don't have one, make a profile HERE first.)
  
• Bring: Instruments, writing materials, earplugs. Our Danish members will loan foreign songwriters instruments, bed linens and towels.
  
  

Price

Riishytten is newly renovated and they've raised their prices a bit, so we are too: £100/€120/$135/900 kr., which covers room and board and 2022 membership in ÅSV. Still a steal at twice the price! (Indenrigssangskrivere: se danske priser og betalingsdetaljer osv. på den danske side.)

To avoid exorbitant transfer fees, we suggest waiting till you arrive and paying cash (one of the above currencies should be fine).

If you prefer to transfer money ahead of time, you can find ÅSV's bank details over on this page.

Registration

Songwriters from abroad can register for the retreat by doing two things:

1. Buy a plane ticket and email a copy to organizer Lars Graulund at larsg@me.com; and
2. Sign up at the bottom of the page, where you can see who else is coming. (If you aren't already registered on this site, you'll need to create a quick profile first HERE.)
   
   

Corona

Retreat participants are required to have proof of either full vaccination or a negative corona test taken no more than 72 hours before arrival in Denmark. An EU digital COVID certificate (printed is fine) will also allow to visit restaurants etc. during your stay – and to play in the Sunday concert (see below).

As of late November, the Danish entry requirements for travelers from the EU are exactly the same (vaccination or recent test), but they're updated weekly to reflect epidemiological developments –· check the latest requirements HERE.

Transportation

The Billund airport (BLL) is quite close. We will arrange to pick you up at the airport. The Aarhus airport (AAR) is another possibility, esp. if you want to spend time in Aarhus before or after camp (we promise to show you a good time). It often makes sense to fly in one airport and out the other, and if you fly Ryanair, you have to buy your flights singly anyhow. Email a copy of your ticket with your arrival and departure times to Lars at larsg@me.com.

For the Danes, there will probably be a lot of people driving, and hopefully we can bring most people to the site by carpooling. Otherwise there are trains to Horsens and Vejle, and buses from there to Riis.

We will pick up people from the bus stop, which is otherwise only a 1.5-km walk away.

Sunday concert

On Sunday afternoon after the end of the retreat, ÅSV will be hosting a concert and open mic in Aarhus. We would especially like to showcase our foreign guests – write Misha at formand@sang-skriver.dk if you'd like to reserve a featured slot. The event runs from 4 to 7 pm – we can help arrange transport from Riishytten and afterward to the appropriate airport.

Sleeping arrangements (and instruments)

The cabin is 430 square meters, with 36 bunks and just enough rooms for everyone to co-write at the same time. There are 6 rooms with four beds, 3 with two beds, and 1 with six beds, as well as a kitchen, 2 lounges, a dining room and at least 3 rooms in the basement. We're limiting the number of attendees to 32 to make sure there is room enough to harmonize.

We will provide linens and a towel for each foreign participant. Let us know if you'd like to borrow a tent!

In addition, we'll also provide you with an acoustic guitar if you don't want to risk (and pay for) bringing your own. There will also be at least one electric keyboard for general use.

Things to pack!

• Writing materials
• Earplugs (to block out the musical snoring of your bunkmates)
• Cash to cover the participant fee and your beverage needs

As noted above, we'll provide our foreign guests with bed linens, a towel, a guitar – and for the hardy souls, a tent.

Food

Everyone is expected to be on the cook-and-clean-up team for two meals during the course of the retreat.

Please note when you sign up below if you have any food allergies or special dietary requirements.

Beer, wine, and soft drinks will be available for purchase at eminently reasonable prices.

Facebook link

The FB event page is the best place to pose general questions, share your excitement, and upload post-retreat pictures/videos.

Link: facebook.com/events/574858460284947

Workshop sessions

Like last year, we'll be offering some workshop sessions in English. Send an email to Lars at larsg@me.com if you would like to share your knowledge with the rest of the participants.

Program

The agenda for the camp is loose, with no obligatory events on the schedule. We will adjust the program underway.

Wednesday 16-? We will make spaghetti with meat sauce, eat, get acquainted, play music, and pick up people from the airport and bus stop. 

Thursday 10-12: Speed write
Thursday 12-13: Lunch team prepares lunch
Thursday 13-14: Lunch 
Thursday 14-17: Co-write or song circle. 
Thursday 17-18: Dinner team makes minestrone soup
Thursday 18-19: Dinner 
Thursday 19:30-? Presentation round

Friday 10-12: Co-write or Workshop 
Friday 12-13: Lunch team prepares lunch, dinner team prepares pizza dough
Friday 13-14: Lunch
Friday 14-17: Co-write or song circle. 
Friday 17-18: Dinner team prepares pizza 
Friday 18-19: Dinner
Friday 20-?    Free play

Saturday 10-12/13: Co-write or workshop
Saturday 12-13: Lunch team prepares lunch 
Saturday 13-14: Lunch 
Saturday 14-17: Co-write or song circle
Saturday 17-18: Dinner team prepares chili con carne 
Saturday 18-19: Dinner 
Saturday 19-? Party & hanging out 

Sunday 10-12/13: Cowrite or song circle 
Sunday 12-13: Lunch team prepares lunch 
Sunday 13-14: Lunch 
Sunday 14-16: Tidying up, packing, farewells; transport to either Billund or Aarhus (and concert)

Sign up!

When you click the sign-up button below, please enter any special dietary needs. Tak!

(If you don't have a login yet, get one by creating a profile first HERE.)